"Exploring Taiwan (博物臺灣)," a new permanent exhibition with over 1700 unique pieces of animal and plants specimens, fossils, paintings and artifacts, are on display at the Taipei-based National Taiwan Museum (NTM) from Feb. 27, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2026.
The exhibition is divided into two sections, featuring different themes to introduce Taiwan's environment, culture and history. The two galleries, the one named "Nature of Taiwan (自然臺灣)" focuses on nature, and the culture gallery, named "People of Taiwan(浮生臺灣)," displays exhibits that depicts the history of Taiwan. NTM, which has abundant collections, is using its collections to tell the history of Taiwan.
The nature gallery presents Taiwan's rich natural environment and biodiversity, and shows the close relationship between the environment, organisms and people from ancient times to the present. It also introduces Taiwan's various terrains and landscapes. The items on display are categorized under four different themes – "Ancient Traces," "Island topography," "Ecological features" and "Sustainable Change."
In addition to the diversified specimens and exhibits, to enhance visitor’s experience, NTM also installed sound systems in the galleries, presenting nature in an aesthetic manner. Through the sounds of nature and sculptures of a clouded leopard and Formosan black bear, the museum hopes that it will arouse visitor's thoughts on our relationship with the nature.
The four themes regarding Taiwan's history and diverse ethnic culture in the culture gallery are "Imprints of Time," "What Constitutes Time," "The Spiritual World," and "Encounters and Becoming." This gallery tells the story of Taiwan, which is home to many religious beliefs practiced by different ethnic groups. Religious diversity exemplifies the diverse lives of people in Taiwan.
"Exploring Taiwan" is open to the public from 9:30am to 5:00pm, Tuesday-Sunday. For more information, please visit the NTM website.